Balance

I wrote the following on the 18th:
I have been consumed by homework.  This has left me unbalanced.  How do I find balance in my life? How do I balance school, work, art, housework, exercise and fun?  I set the limit for myself that I am not allowed to have any fun until all my homework is finished.  But that just makes me resent my homework.  All work and no play makes Elissa go something, something.  I need to incorporate everything into my daily life, but how?  I have tried making schedules, but I quickly stop following them.  Scheduling fun doesn't really work for me.  What if I accidentally scheduled fun when it is raining?  So how do I achieve balance in my life?

Then today I wrote:
It just dawned on me that it is almost March and I have not done any fun actitiviites in Februray.  EeeGads! So I made a promise to myself that tonight I am going to a water colour exhibit.  My resolution was to help me find balance and not drown in homework.  But a whole month has gone by and I am suffocating.  That is why last weekend I made an important choice.  I chose a mantra; Less Stuff, Less Stress!  I am going room by room getting rid of stuff I do not really need.  Last weekend I tackled the bedroom; this weekend will be the office.  My goal is to have less housework and a more functional home to make my life easier and more fun.

Less Stuff, Less Stress

January Outings

To make sure that I keep my resolution this year, I will recap my outdoor and art outings at the end of each month.

My outdoor outing for January was a tour of the Islands of Adventure.  It was a very extensive hike in which I saw a lot of interesting flora and fauna, including wild ducks, a Lorax and mandrakes.  It was very memorable.

For my art outing I saw Rock of Ages; a cross between a rock concert and Broadway musical.  It was excellent.  I haven't laughed so much at a musical since I saw Spamalot.  If you have nostalgia for spandex, AquaNet and the power ballad, this is the show for you.  But if you thought Avenue Q was too crude and Tommy too loud, you're better off seeing the new Les Mis instead (which I will be seeing in March).

Resolutions

Last New Year I made my first resolution: to go on an outdoor outing once a week.  Reflecting on my activities this past year, I have to admit that I did not fulfill my resolution.  But it was not a complete failure; I did try to keep it and went on an outdoor outing once every other month.  This year, instead of being too far reaching, I resolve to go on an outdoor outing once a month and to a gallery, museum or theater once a month.  It takes a lot of effort to devote time to myself, but it is time worth spent.

Buttercream or Creamcheese

The other night we had our first icing.  There was an ice storm through the night and we woke up to discover everything was covered in ice; the grass, plants, trees, sidewalks, cars.  Our car was completely encased in a 1/4 inch layer of ice.  We've never seen anything like this.
The 2009 Ice Storm of Louisville (before we lived here) produced a 2 inch layer of ice encasing everything.  The weight of the ice snapped tree branches and downed power lines.  People were without electricity for a week.  I hope this does not repeat itself; a 1/4 inch ice layer is enough to deal with.  But just in case I've got our large flannel comforter reading to keep us warm.

I took some photos of the grass and plants to try to show the layer of ice; if you look closely you will see that the plants are totally encased in ice.

What To Do When the Weather is Dreary

Celebrating winter storms with some Muppet Show.
Here are a few of my favorites.  (scroll down for more)

Gargeling With Mark Hamill

Koozebanian Mating Ritual

Alan Arkin Drinks the Jekyl-Hyde Potion

First of December Brings Snow

Time Marches On

Typically we do something fun for our anniversary.  Last year we went to Lover's Leap Winery and the year before was Disneyland.  This year work schedules and homework got in the way, so we celebrated with cleaning, laundry, a flu shot and pizza.  Time does not stop for anniversaries.

Last night was our first snow fall of the year.  With the everlasting heat wave that started in May and lasted through October we didn't have much of Spring and now only a few weeks in, Fall is officially over.  Hello Winter and welcome!